A Scrapbook of Dumb Shit

Old School Friday: Big Daddy Kane – Long Live the Kane

Big Daddy Kane, a member of the Juice Crew, was a mix of battle-sharpened skills and smooth talk for the fairer sex. A true original, he’s one of the only MC’s to rock it for the men and the ladies while still getting mad respect. Kane’s debut, Long Live the Kane, begins with the title track, introducing listeners to “King Asiatic Nobody’s Equal” over a killer break and scratching by DJ Mister Cee. The next two songs are prime examples of Kane’s unbelievable skill and are among his most beloved tracks. “Raw” is just that, and Kane packs enough wordplay to keep listeners’ fingers on the rewind button. The real gem, though, is “Set It Off”: rapid-fire delivery paired with seldom-heard verbal dexterity over a breakneck drum and guitar composition. If this was the only song Kane ever made, he would still be considered a legend. Yeah…it’s THAT good.

Obviously “Set If Off” is not Kane’s only song, and there are plenty other great tracks spread across Long Live the Kane. “Ain’t No Half Steppin'” is the classic single, with Kane setting fools straight over The Emotions’ “Blind Alley”. He could also get deep, as evidenced by “I’ll Take You There” and it’s dreams of a better world, and the call for equality that is “Word to the Mother (Land)”. With such a vast array of skills, Kane made rapping seem easy while somehow retaining a fierceness that few could match.